1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image processing apparatus and method which perform a color processing such as a color matching process in a network system.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is described in the specification of Japanese Laid-open 7-222009, a color management system comprises a color management module (CMM) which defines the algorithm of a color matching process and a device profile which represents the characteristic of an image processing device.
A color conversion process of the color matching process is performed to match the colors of an input image and an output image by using the profile corresponding to a source device before the conversion and the profile corresponding to a destination device after the conversion. The former profile is called a source device profile and the latter one is called a destination device profile.
For example, in the color processing shown in FIG. 1, the scanner color space (scanner RGB) or the monitor color space (monitor RGB) is converted to printer color space (printer CMYK). In this case, the source device is a scanner or a monitor, the profile of the scanner or the monitor is the source profile, the destination device is a printer and the profile of the printer is the destination profile. The image data, which is based on the scanner RGB or monitor RGB is converted to the image data based on the printer CMYK by the algorithm of the color management module. The color management module uses the source profile and the destination profile for determining the conversion characteristic.
FIG. 2 shows one example of structure of the device profile. Here, the profile includes the header part and the data storage part. In the header part, information used for managing the profile, for example, device information indicating the device (ex. monitor) which corresponds to the profile, and CMM information indicating which CMM uses the profile, is stored.
Profile description information, which is used for discriminating the profile, is stored in the data storage. For example, the profile description information may contain the manufacturer""s name and the product""s name.
However, conventionally above-mentioned color management was not realized in the network system. That is, the device profile or the color management module used for the color conversion could not be systematically sent or received between the transmitter side and the receiver side.
As a result, it was very difficult to realize high quality color matching in the network system efficiently.
The purpose of the present invention is to improve the color management system for applying it to the network system.
One such purpose is to use the functions of the network server and the network client efficiently for color matching process.
To achieve this purpose, for example, the present invention is an image processing apparatus which comprises profile storage means for storing a plurality of profiles corresponding to devices, an image data base for storing a plurality of image files corresponding to images, color process module storage means for storing a color process module, and communicating means for communicating with a network client through a network, wherein the image data representing an image stored in the image data base, the color process module and a profile stored in the profile storage means are down-loaded to the network client through said communicating means in accordance with a demand of the network client.
Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a new software for the network server or the network client concerning the color matching process.
To achieve this purpose, for example, the present invention is a computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium for causing a communication with a network client, the computer program product including, computer readable program code means for storing a plurality of profiles corresponding to devices in profile storage means, computer readable program code means for storing a plurality of image files corresponding to images in an image data base, computer readable program code means for storing a color process module in a color process module storage means and computer readable program code means for communicating with a network client through a network, wherein image data representing an image stored in the image data base, the color process module and a profile stored in the profile storage means are down-loaded to the network client through the communicating means in accordance with a demand of the network client.
The present invention is also embodied in a computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium for causing a communication with a network server, the computer program product includes computer readable program code means for accessing one of a plurality of profiles corresponding to devices stored in profile storage means of the network server, computer readable program code means for accessing one of a plurality of image files corresponding to images stored in an image data base of the network server, computer readable program code means for accessing a color process module stored in a color process module storage means of the network server and computer readable program code means for communicating with the network server through a network in order to down-load image data representing an image stored in the image data base, the color process module and a profile stored in the profile storage means.
Another purpose of the present invention is to provide an efficient color matching by using low-resolution image and high-resolution image corresponding to the same image.
To achieve this purpose, for example, the present invention is an image processing method used in network system, which comprises a network server, a network client and a network printer, comprising the steps of, when a color matching result is confirmed at the network client, 1) sending low-resolution data in the image file to the network client by the network server, 2) performing color matching process on the low-resolution data by the network client, and displaying a result of the color matching process by a monitor, and when image forming is performed by the network printer, 3) performing color matching process on the high-resolution data in the image file and sending the high-resolution data to the network printer by the network server.
Also the present invention is embodied in a computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium which is used in network system, which comprises a network server, a network client and a network printer, the computer program product including, 1) computer readable program code means for sending low-resolution data in the image file to the network client by the network server when a color matching result is confirmed at the network client, 2) computer readable program code means for performing color matching process on the low-resolution data by the network client, and displaying a result of the color matching process by a monitor when a color matching result is confirmed at the network client, and 3) computer readable program code means for performing color matching process on the high-resolution data in the image file and sending the high-resolution data to the network printer by the network server when image forming is performed by the network printer.
Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a color matching method which uses image data of a plurality of resolutions.
To achieve this purpose, for example, the present invention is an image processing method used in an image processing apparatus having an image file for storing image data of a plurality of resolutions, comprising the steps of, inputting an instruction of image forming process by using a desired image forming apparatus, inputting a profile corresponding to the image forming apparatus, judging a resolution of the image forming apparatus, reading out image data of a resolution which is the same as or higher than the resolution of the image forming apparatus and is nearest to the resolution of the image forming apparatus, converting the resolution of the read-out image data into the resolution of the image forming apparatus, performing color matching process on the converted image data by using the profile and sending the image data to the image forming means.
Also the present invention is embodied in a computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium which is used in an image processing apparatus having an image file for storing image data of a plurality of resolutions, the computer program product includes, computer readable program code means for inputting an instruction of image forming process by using a desired image forming apparatus, computer readable program code means for inputting a profile corresponding to the image forming apparatus, computer readable program code means for judging a resolution of the image forming apparatus, computer readable program code means for reading out image data of a resolution which is the same as or higher than the resolution of the image forming apparatus and is nearest to the resolution of the image forming apparatus, computer readable program code means for converting the resolution of the read-out image data into the resolution of the image forming apparatus, computer readable program code means for performing color matching process on the converted image data by using the profile and computer readable program code means for sending the image data to the image forming means.